Bendix Honors Employees for Excellence

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC recently honored employees across North America for their achievements in continuous improvement, safety, quality, and productivity. The awards ceremony recognized both individuals and teams from various facilities, highlighting their commitment to enhancing workplace safety, environmental conditions, and manufacturing efficiency.

Key Highlights:

Award Categories: Safety STARS, Environmental, Best Quick Kaizen, Most Quick Kaizens, KPS Outstanding Contributor.
Facilities Represented: Acuña, Mexico; Avon, Ohio; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Hanover, Pennsylvania; Huntington, Indiana; Monterrey, Mexico.
Number of Honorees: Three groups and 22 individuals recognized for continuous improvement in 2023.
Recognition Program: This year marked the 11th installment, reflecting an expanded scope and a growing number of honorees.
Employee Contributions: Over 22,000 Quick Kaizen ideas identified and nearly 20,000 implemented in 2023.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC gathered employees from its North American locations to celebrate the 11th annual Knorr Production System (KPS) awards. The ceremony, held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, acknowledged those who excelled in improving safety, environmental conditions, production quality, and efficiency.

Award Winners by Category:

Safety STARS Teams: Machining P1 (Acuña), FDB Assembly Benches 1st Shift (Bowling Green), Shipping Fast Break 2nd Shift (Huntington).
Environmental: Jorge Moreno, Raul Ramirez, and Enrique Chavez (Acuña); Himanshu Pandya (Bowling Green); Randy Brown (Huntington); Mark Matko (Avon).
Best Quick Kaizen: Sergio Segura (Acuña), Paulo Leal (Monterrey), Himanshu Pandya (Bowling Green), Rob Snow (Huntington), David Leatherman (R.H. Sheppard), Phillip Kasper and Justin Turner (Avon).
Most Quick Kaizens: Yolanda Flota (Acuña), Carlos Zavala (Monterrey), Lisa Eldridge (Bowling Green), Linda Bowman (Huntington), Trudy Mays (R.H. Sheppard), Stephen Mitchell (Avon).
KPS Outstanding Contributor: Oscar Llano (Acuña), Mitchell Bratcher (Bowling Green), Ben Maylin (Huntington), Christy Racine (R.H. Sheppard).

Company Leadership Comments: “We launched KPS at Bendix in 2012 to pursue a shared vision, embracing a ‘one-plant approach’ to steer us toward operational excellence,” stated Piotr Sroka, CEO, president, and COO of Bendix. “Since then, countless individuals have dedicated themselves to the vision, bringing forth their talents, ideas, and hard work to ensure our collective safety and enhance our environment, processes, workstations, and production lines. The recognition program is a special way to celebrate the people who lead the way. They bring the KPS spirit to life and help motivate everyone as we build momentum for the future.”

KPS Philosophy: A critical aspect of the KPS philosophy is encouraging employees to identify potential problems and develop solutions. This proactive approach has led to significant improvements, with Bendix implementing nearly 20,000 Quick Kaizens in 2023 alone.

Bendix’s Commitment: The KPS awards underscore Bendix’s commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. As Fabio Nakai, Bendix’s Director of Operations Excellence, noted, “The accomplishments celebrated in the KPS awards bring Bendix closer to major company safety goals such as zero injuries, climate goals like zero waste, and operational goals on quality and productivity. Day after day, our people and our teams bring their best selves to the job in the name of continuous improvement and operational excellence.”

About Bendix: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, part of Knorr-Bremse, develops advanced safety technologies and systems for commercial vehicles. With over 4,400 employees, Bendix is dedicated to improving vehicle safety and performance while reducing operating costs. For more information, visit bendix.com.

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